Lir Baileys Original Truffle Bar

Update to the update to the update! I returned to my Parisian hospital this morning (yep, it’s mine – as I’ve spent several hours each day going/being there since my arrival in this city of dogs and music, I claim [grammatical] ownership rights), and had two nurses poke and prod and dab and talk at me in French for quite some time.

Consensus is that I do not have to return to them every morning (win!), that I must soak my toe in antiseptic liquid twice a day (tedious), and that unless it gets demonstrably worse, I might be able to continue with the rest of my trip before returning home in April to repeat last year’s surgery and go through this all again (fail), albeit hopefully with the whole “healing” aspect this time around (potential win).

In light of this, I’ve extended my stay in Paris from one week to two, and so will be immersing myself in Parisian life and doing the touristy expeditions at a far slower pace than others do. But you know what? I’m pretty happy about that. And am just going to lean over to knock on the wooden floor because I really don’t want to get up tomorrow and need the emergency surgery the nurses warned me about.

You know what such worries warrant? A nightcap…

Lir Baileys Original Truffle Bar

I can't decide whether to make these chocolate packaging photos small or full size. The former is, well, small, and the latter tends to take over the blog a little bit...

I should state, up front, that I haven’t tasted Baileys Irish Cream in a really long time. So I can’t really say with authority whether this encapsulates the true essence of Baileys or not. However, I can say that I’m not a big drinker and can’t stomach hard liquors, but I quite enjoyed this.

Oh, the composition! The angles! The mastery of my point-and-click photography!

The chocolate’s light colour hints at its lightness of flavour, which starts out as a basic uncomplicated sweetness then moves to something akin to Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (sorry non-Australian readers. It’s the best I can do). The aroma is also very sweet, and puts me in mind of chocolate and something else that I can’t quite pin down, something from my childhood…

The Baileys is in the filling, and the textural property of said filling is rather interesting. It holds together as a solid, and yet as soon as you bite into it the filling just melts away. Moreover, it (to me) conveys that lovely Baileys coffee/chocolate/alcohol flavour without being overpowering, acidic, or too sweet.

That's what we're talkin' 'bout, right?

Seriously, this filling is so ridiculously smooth that it makes me think of whipped cream, except delicious. (Am I the only person who thinks whipped cream is boring and tastes of nothing and is a waste of space on the plate? I’d rather just have more cheesecake than cheesecake with cream, thanks.)

As I’ve mentioned, this Baileys Original Truffle Bar is very sweet, but the honey, whiskey, coffee, caramel, and alcohol flavours prevent it from being cloying. It’s quite more-ish, even for a certified dark chocolate lover such as myself.

And for those of you interested in the alcohol content, I did take off all my clothes and sing “Strictly USA” from Take Me Out to the Ball Game while drawing red pandas on the kitchen wall after eating this entire block of chocolate. But you’d probably be safe if you only ate half, like a normal person.

There's always time for one last chocolate shot, right?

P.S. Camille is just as fantabulous in person as she is on her blog. But more on that later.

2 weeks in Paris taking things slowly and immersing yourself in the life sounds great to me. Check out the Musée du Quai Branly – a museum of indigenous art with a strong Aboriginal art component. We loved your art commentary – reminded us a bit of the great hosuewives of art.

I like the way the filling looks on this one – so often, when you get liqueur chocolates, the inside is liquid, and if you bite into it you end up with half the booze on your chin and shirt, which certainly reduces one’s credibilty. Anyway, well-timed for St. Patrick’s Day! See you soon!

Lorraine: It is truly the best way to celebrate, being here. Though between you and me, I ate that chocolate in London… over a month ago! But there has also been so, so much delicious Parisian sweetness in my four days here so far… 🙂

Ian: I do hope my foot holds up – I’m so happy here! And thank you for the recommendation. I’m planning to hit up the main sights/museums in the next few days, then will endeavour to visit the smaller ones next week!

Gmasydney: I’m going to do everything in my power to comply with both of your orders! Though may have overdid the latter and hindered the former today… but it was such a beautiful day to walk around!

Croquecamille: You are such a chocolate drunk. 😛 Oooh, you’re right about St Patty’s day. It was fortuitous posting, even if I ate the chocolate ages ago! (P.S. I’m so tempted to walk by Couderc and wave every time I’m at Crimee station now… which is, what, at least twice a day? :P)

Amber: I’m still swooning myself 🙂 (Though hopefully it’s nto from a blood infection or anything…) Gah, I must learn to post these reviews when I eat the chocolate, so that I can buy more for you lot when you want them! I’m in the wrong country now…

And I’m with you on the whipped cream thing. Never seen the point of it and ask them not to put that annoying blob next to my carrot cake or on top of my iced coffee.

I’ve had the Baileys chocolate as individually-wrapped thingies and they were considerably more leaky (ie the actual booze) than the cream centres here. Still, if it takes your mind off your toe, then it’s a good thing.

Kath: It’s feeling pretty perfect right now! (Except for the toe treatment, which I really must go and do seeing as it’s almost midnight…) Also, high fives on the cream thing! So glad I have at least one ally there 😀